English Final Exam

Final Exam Part One Of all the versions of Little Red Riding Hood that we read in class, I must say, Anne Sexton’s translation of this story was absolutely my favorite. Her use of imagery, and the over-all language that she uses is truly magnificent. She boldly retells this story, but keeps true to the original story. Her modernization is a lovely example of what poetry has grown to be. Most poets these days write in free verse, it’s not uncommon to read a poem that does not rhyme at all, but it is so very common to be moved by it. I, personally, am a huge fan of poetry, old and new alike, and I am always happy to read a poem that combines both new and old techniques of writing. Anne Sexton does this unbelievably well; I am ashamed that I have not read her poetry until this point in time. But, of course, I am thankful this class has allowed my mind to curl up around another beautiful piece of literature. She uses phrases like “Many are the deceivers” which give the poem a sort of “vintage” feel without overwhelming it’s readers with language that is hard to understand. Anne Sexton gives it a modern twist by writings words like “the razor in his hand like a toothbrush, wall as anonymous as a urinal”. I was completely blown away with the beauty of this poem. It painted such a vivid picture in my mind, while still managing to tug at my heartstrings with its language. Anne Sexton achieved poetry here, and she achieved it marvelously. In this poem there really is not any specific rhythm or rhyme. The lines are filled with scattered amounts of syllables, and the words connect only through coincidence. But the use of figurative language reveals this piece as poetry. Phrases like “letting her stomach fill up with helium, letting her arms go loose as kite tails, getting ready to meet her lover a mile down Apple Crest Road in the Congregational Church parking lot”, “bedfellows watching between their feet, slits his wrist the next morning in the Algonquin’s